7.2.2 Reading-Writing

Facial Expressions 

Instructions: Look over the photos provided and answer the questions that follow. After the activity is completed, be ready to discuss how you reacted to the facial expressions.

Self-Reflection Questions: 

1. What message is sent by each person’s facial expression? 

2. Does the actor’s gender influence how her/his facial expression is interpreted? 

3. How would you react to each of these facial expressions? 

4. Have people ever made judgments about you based on your facial expression? Can you give specific instances? 

5. Is it easy for you to interpret facial expressions correctly? Can you think of instances where you were unable to correctly identify another persons’ facial expression? 

6. When facial expressions are ambiguous, such as in B and D, does racial/ethnic identity make it more difficult to recognize what the facial expressions indicate?

Proxemics (Personal Space)

Instructions: Look over the photos provided and answer the questions that follow. After the activity is completed, be ready to discuss how you reacted to the photographs.

Self-Reflection Questions:

1. Which photos clearly show a strong connection between people and which photos do not? Why do you think that? 

2. What are some possible explanations for the personal space shown in each of these photos? 

3. What would your reaction be if one of the people in the photos was of a different race/ethnicity from the other(s)? 

4. When you are interacting with people from another culture, religion, race, ethnicity, etc. what type of proxemics (i.e., personal, social, public) do you use? How does this affect the way you interact with them? 

5. Do you think there are cultural differences in how people interpret the social distances displayed in these photos? Explain your answer.

Body Language

Instructions: Look over the photos provided and answer the questions that follow. After completing the activity, be ready to discuss any questions and reactions regarding body language.

Self-Reflection Questions: 

1. What message does each person’s body language send? 

2. Does the racial/ethnic identity or gender of the people in the pictures affect the interpretation of their body language? 

3. Does age or social status make a difference in the way their body language is perceived? 

4. How would you react to the body language shown in each of the photographs? 

5. What situations have you experienced in which your body language was misinterpreted? 

6. Have you ever made judgments about others based on their body language? Can you give specific instances?